Spike-puller.



No. 569,906. Patented Mar. l2, |901. s. THoMPsoN.

SPIKE FULLER.

(Application led Dec. 22, 1900.) N o M o d e l.)

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SOLOMON THOMPSON, OF BEDFORD, INDIANA.

SPIKE-FULLER.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N0. 669,906, dated March12, 1901.

application filed December 22, 1900. Serial No. 40.808. tNo modela Toa/Z whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SOLOMON THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bedford, in the county of Lawrence and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Spike-Puller, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to spike-paliers, although the principlesinvolved may be embodied in implements for other specific purposes; andone object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientconstruction which may be engaged with a spike by downward movement ofthe operating-bar thereof and which may be then rocked to draw thespike, the structure being such that the bar may he rocked in anopposite direction to permit of placing a fulcrum-block thereunderwithout releasing its grip upon the spike.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction that willconsist of but few parts, that is durable, and that is cheap ofmanufacture.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the complete implement in itsoperative position. Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken through the taperedsocket of the bar and showing the gripping-jaws in bottormplan view.Fig. 3 is a partial section taken at right angles to Fig. 2 and showingthe inner side of a gripping-jaw. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view ofone of the gripping-jaws.A Fig. 5 is an end view of the bar and showingthe tapered socket thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, the present implement consists of asingle-piece bar l0, the upper portion of which is rounded and taperedto form a handle, while the lower portion thereof comprises across-sectionally rectangular portion in the form of a sleeve l1, whichprojects laterally from one side of the bar, and which bar directlyadjacent to the sleeve is flattened, as at l2, to form a continuation ofone inner wall of the sleeve. The inner portion of the sleeve is intheform of a socket 13, which is tapered from its lower end in thedirection of the upper end of the bar. In connection with this barhaving the socketed sleeve there are employed'two simi; largripping-jaws 14 and 15. Each jaw inclndes a head 16 and a stem 17, thehead having an arcuate end face 18, the chord of which lies at an acuteangle to the stem, and which head projects at its ends beyond the sideedges of the stem 17. The stems 17 of the jawsare adapted to lie withthose portions farthest from the heads in mutual contact, and said stemsare slightly curved on their adjacent faces in order that the adjacentfaces of the jaws may stand normally apart. The stems of the jaws whendisposed face to face present outer faces which converge in thedirection of the ends of the stems remote from the heads, while the sideedges of the stems converge in the same direction, whereby there will bepresented a tapered pair of stems which correspond to the taper of thesocket of the sleeve of the bar. The outer ends of the stems areconnected by a bolt 20, passed therethrough after the stems have beenpassed into the sleeve, and which bolt prevents withdrawal of the stemsfrom the socket of the sleeve. The stems of the jaws are of springmetal, and thus if the stems be pressed into the sleeve they will engagethe convergent sides thereof and will wedge therebetween, so that theheads of the jaws will be moved together.

The forwardly-projecting portions of the heads of the jaws-that is, theportions thereof most remote from the opposite ends` of the stems-areslightly recessed on their inner faces, and these recessed portions arebeveled to present gripping-teeth 2l and 22, the recesses being adaptedto receive the stem of a spike to be drawn in such position that thesharpened teeth may engage beneath the head thereof. In fact, however,with the present construction itis not necessary that the teeth engageagainst the head of the spike; but instead they may engage the sides ofthe spike, the pressure of the teeth against the spike being suiiicientto cause the teeth to sink thereinto to a degree sufficient to preventslipping.

In the operation of this-device the stems of the jaws are pusheddownwardly through the sleeve, at which time the heads of the jaws willseparate, as above described. The in1- plement is then adjusted toreceive the spike between the teeth 21 and 22, after which the bar ispressed downwardly to cause the stems to move upwardly through thesleeve and wedge into the socket thereof, causing the teeth to grip inthe manner described. By pressing laterally on the bar the bar is rockedon the arcuate faces of the heads of the jaws and the toot-hed endsthereof are raised to draw the spike. As the jaws do not release thespike until the stems are again moved forwardly through the sleeve, thebar may be raised rockingly to lift the heels of the heads to permit ofinsertion of a fulcrum-block therebeneath without releasing the spike.

In practice modifications of the specific coustruction shown may bemade, and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for thevarious parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is- 1. A device of the class described comprising a barhaving a tapered socket, and jaws comprising stems disposed side by sideand engaged with the socket and shaped to correspond to the taper of thesocket, and heads upon the jaws having tulcrum-faces and provided withgripping-teeth for movement toward each other transversely of theoperative movement of the bar when the stems are pressed into thesocket.

2. A device of the class described comprising a bar having a taperedsocket extending longitudinally thereof, and jaws including headsprovided with fulcrum -faces having gripping-teeth and stems disposedslidably in the socket, said stems being tapered to Wedge into thesocket and move the heads toward each other.

3. A device of the class described comprising a bar having a socket, andjaws including heads having gripping-teeth and stems disposed slidablyin the socket, said stems being constructed and arranged to wedge intothe socket and move the teeth toward each other transversely of theoperative movement of the bar.

4. A device of the class described comprising a bar having a socket, andjaws including tapered stems disposed slidably in the socket and headshaving arcuate fulcrumfaces and gripping-teeth, said stems beingconstructed and arranged to wedge into the socket to draw the teethtoward each other transversely of the operative movement of the bar.

5. A device of the class described comprising a bar having alongitudinally-tapered socket, and jaws having tapered stems disposedslidablyin the socket said jaws having arcuate fulcrum-faces havinggripping-teeth, said stems being constructed and arranged for movementupwardly into the socket to wedge therein and move the teeth toward eachother in a direction"transversely of the operative movement of the barto effect a gripping action..

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SOLOMON THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. OROOK, W. H. ORooKE.

